Improved eailbo ad-switch



J. DAM PMAN.' RAILROAD SWITCH. v

Patentd July 14, 1868.

T E HORN! PETERS CO. VNOTO-LITNO WASNINOTON D C Winnie. L

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pitch globes igatentffi Letters Patent No. 79.812, dated July 14, 1868.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-SWITGH.

(its Srlgeimle rennet in in time inlets and ion mating and if the sane.

TO ALL WHOM I'r MAY CONCERN; I

Beit known that 1,- JAMES ,DAMPMAN, of Lebanon, in the county ofLebanon, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certaiu'new and usefulImprovements on Railroad-Switches andties therefor; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a'full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference heing had to the acoonipa nying drawings, making apart, of this specificatiomin which-r Figure 1 is aplan-view of theimproved switch applied to the main-traole 'ails at a turnout or siding,showing the switch-rails adjusted for themain track. 5 a A Figure 2 is asimilar view, showing the switch-rails adjusted for the siding track. 1t

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, showing the construction of theimprovedtie-rod, andthe manner of applying it tothe rails. a i Y Similar lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. I y

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements onrailroad-switches, which are applied at the junctions of sidings withmain tracks, for the purpose of allowing trains to lea-1e a main trackand Pass safely upon a siding, and also to pass from a siding. upon amain track.

The nature of my invention consists in bending a part of therail-section on one side of a switch, so as to adapt it to serve as asafety-rail for the main-track rail when the switchis adjusted forasiding, and in applying on the inner side 0'! such bent portion anauxiliary pointed and movable rail-section, in such inanner that, whenthe switch is adjusted for the main track, this pointed and movablesection will form 'a' partof'the maintrack rail, and when the switch isadjusted for a siding, this pointed and movable section will form ajunction or continuation of the siding and main'track, and, while inthis position, will yield, and allows. train running upon the main trackto pass safely over the switch, as will be hereinafter explained.

And in conjunction with said bent-rail'se ctionand movable safety-railon one side of the switch, the invention consists in the employment of astraight-rail section on the opposite side of the switch, and insecuring. to the inner side'of this section a pointed safety-rail andfrog or guard, so constructed and applied, that, should the'switch beadjusted for a siding, and a train pass upon it from one direction, thepointed safety-rail and its frog-will giiide the wheels safely upon oneof the switch-rails, while the pointed'movablc section on the oppositeside of the switch will spring inward, and allow the flanges of thewheels to pass between it and its safety-rail, as will be hereinafterdescribed. i it v i The invention further consists in a switch-tie rod,which is so constructed that while it will firmly gripe both sides ofthe base of each switch-rail, and tie the rails securely together, itcan be readilyapplied to or removed from said rails without removingthern from theirvp lacesupon the bed of the switch, as will behereinafter described. i

To enableothers skilled in the art to understand iny invention, I willdescribeits construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings,figs. 1 and 2, I have shown my switch intwo positions. Fig. 1 shows it adjusted for the main-track ,rails A A,and fig. 2 shows the some parts adjusted for the siding or-turnontrailsB B. The objects which I have accomplished by toy-improved switch aresimplicity, in that there are very few parts composing the switch,andthese parts can be'made and put together in a substantial and durablemanner; irecdorn from derangement by clogging with ice and snow, in thatthe several parts of the switch are made and'put together in such mannerthat such obstructions cannot find a lodgment; and safety, in that theswitch cannot be so adjusted as to endanger a train passing over it,whether it be adjusted for-the main track or siding. v

The two main rails QC of the switch are spiked down firmly to thecross-tics D D, at c c c, 150' that in vibrating or adjusting those end,which are not spiked down the rails will spring, and, for this purposetheir bases may be reduced in width near theholding-down' spikes c. Therail Gfo'n one side of the track, is bent outward from the points toits-free extremity, so that when the two rails are adjusted for thesiding, the bent portion, 0, will bein line. with a mainitraclirail, A,and the rail 0 will be in line with the siding-rail li-yand when theswitch is adjusted for the main track, the bent portion, 0, willbeoutside ofthe line of the main track,

' and the rail G will be in line with main-track rail A. i

To the inner side of the bent portion, C of switch-rail Q, a shortrail-section, N, is secured by means 01 transverse boltsf and interposedfilling-blocks g g, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. This rail-section ispointed at one end, so that it shall fit snugly into the bend at i, andform a straight continuation of the straight portion of the rail 0,thereby occupying the position which the portion,'C would occupy if itwas not bent'as shown- This section N therefore forms a continuation ofthe main-track rail A and switch-rail 0, when the switchis adjusted forthe main track and when the switch is adjusted for the siding, saidsection N forms a continuation of the siding-rail B" with said'rail C,as shownin the drawings.

.The bolts ff, which connect the parts of rails C? N together,are'somcwhat longer than the width of the webs of the rails, and Indiarubber or other suitable springs, e e, are interposed between the headsof said bolts and the bent portion, G for the purpose ofhllowing thepointed end of the rail-section N'to yield laterally inward, should theflanges of wheels pass between the section N and bent portion 0 whichwould occur should a train pass over the switch running in one directionon the main track when the switch is adjusted for the 1 siding, as shownfig. 2.

On the inner side of the switch-rail C, opposite the yieldingpointedrail-s ection N, is a safety-rail, P, which is constructed uponand forms an extension of one end of a frog, P'.- This frog' and itsrail aresecui'ed'rigidly tothe rail 0 in any suitable manner. I preferto use bolts passing transversely through" the frog and rail 0, d alsoemploy a transverse tie-rod, b, which is slipped upon the ends of railsCN P (Land constructed with jaws, which will embrace and firmly holdsaid parts against lateral thrust, v

The rail-extension P is tapered to a po int which terminates upon therecess 'or-cli'annel S of the frog P, i

in the middle of the width of said channel. Theinner edge. of this railP is parallel "to the bent fportiou, C of rail 0, and forms, inconjunction therewith, a continuation of the main traekA A upon.the'switch,..when the latter is adjusted, as shown infig. 2. j I I v IThe eleiratioua on the frog. scig ves as a guard for the flanges 0tcar-wheels after leaving the safety-rail P, at the sometime that therail-section N'is sprunginward, as above described. i r

By means of-the-bent portion, 0 the rail-section N, the safety-rail P,and the guard a, a train running on the main track will be conductedsafely over the switch in one direction, when the swi'tchisadjustedforthe siding.

The ends of the channel in the frog are-made flaring, and otherwise soformed that neithersnow nor ice will materially. clog this passage.There is a space left betwccn'the safety rail P'and rail C, forthe'purpose of preventing accumulation of snow and'ice, and also toreceive the flanges of car-wheels. The channels is made so that the frogwill support'acar-wheel by its flange,"until the tread of su'chwheel-passes upon and is supported by the rail 0, thus preventing thewheel from losing its support while passingfrom the pointed end .ofsafetyrail P to and upon the-rail C. The pointed rail P is intended alsoto prevent "flat'whcels 'fromjidropping into the neck of the frog. v I

Atintermediate points between the laterally-vibrating portions of theswitch, tie-rods, b, are interposed, which are constructed withembracing lips, jj, upon them, for receiving the rail bases, andpreventing lateral spreading or contraction of the rails. I p Y j Therod 6' may 'b'e slipped upon the ends of its rails, and for this reasonit may be constructed with permanent griping-jawsh h it upon it; butthis could not well be done with the tie-rods b b, without removing theswitchrails from their places. "Each tie-rod b is constructed with twolips or griping'jawsJj, permanently upon it, and on the ends of this redscrews l are formed, for receiving movable.griping-jawa'jj, andclamping-nuts, k k, as shown in fig. 3. The-rod b is applied to theswitch-rails before the jaws jj are slipped upon it, which can bereadily done by holding the rod obliquely between the switch-rails, soas to bring the flanged'bases thereof in the jaws jj, and then adjustingthe rod in proper position, after which the jaws j'j are adjusted inplace upon the screw-portionsl l, and set uptightlyto the rail-bases, bymeans of nuts 70 It. Pins, keys, or jaw-nuts will prevent the nuts -Ickifrom becoming loose. 3

Tie-rods thus constructed will practically serve the purpose-for whichtheym'c used, and may be removed and replaced at pleasure, withouttaking up the switch-rails,

Having described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The bent switch-rail C 0,and straight rail 0, in combination, whenthe formcr'has the tapering section N applied to it by means of rodsffand springs ee, and-the latter has the frogP' and pointed rail-extensionP applied to it, all substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

2. The fi'og P, and pointed rail-extension P, constructed-and adaptedtoserve the purposes substantially as described. v i

3. The switch-rod 'b, constructed with removable shoulders jj, and withremovable griping-jaws j, and screwthreads and retnining nut slsubstantially as described andshown.

JAMES DAMPMAN;

Witnesses:

Geo. GLEIM, I. .T. WORTH.

